As we look forward to the conclusion of the first GST this year, with the key focus being on the conclusion of the Technical Dialogue and the conduct of the consideration of outputs component, the Group of 77 and China would like to highlight the following:

1. The Global Stocktake (GST) is a critically important process for the successful implementation of the Paris Agreement. It is a key element of the Paris Agreement for enhancing the implementation of the Convention. This means that the principles of CBDR and equity have to be treated in an operational and cross cutting manner; and that Parties will inform themselves of the GST outcome in a nationally determined manner; that the GST outcome will be comprehensive and reflects all of the thematic areas; and that the GST outcome will be about looking backwards at implementation gaps and looking forward towards opportunities for addressing such gaps, ultimately strengthening the global response to the threat of climate change in the context of sustainable development and the effort to eradicate poverty.

2. The GST hence needs to address issues that were introduced during the discussions in the Technical Dialogue which are of key interest to developing countries in relation to mitigation, adaptation, means of implementation, response measures, loss and damage, in the context of sustainable development, just transitions, and on the basis of equity and the best available science. Focused discussion on these issues should be given more detail and time in the Technical Dialogue, the work of the joint contact group, as well as the high-level events to be undertaken by the High-Level Committee, during the session so that the consideration of outputs component will have holistic, systemic, cross-cutting, equity-oriented, backward and forward-looking information inputs to assess and discuss.

3. The CMA decision should reflect an assessment on the progress and gaps in ambition and implementation of their commitments and to identify the opportunities, challenges and solutions for ambition and implementation in light of the principles and provisions of the Convention and the Paris Agreement.

4. The Group of 77 and China recalls that the Katowice GST decision clearly indicated that the outputs of this component of the global stocktake should:*

a. Identify opportunities for and challenges in enhancing action and support for collective progress in relation to the GST thematic areas, as well as possible measures and good practices and international cooperation and related good practices;
b. Summarize key political messages for enhancing action and support, including recommendations from the high level events;
c. Be referenced in a decision for consideration and adoption by the Conference of the Parties serving as the meeting of the Parties to the Paris Agreement and/or a declaration.

5. In this context, the Joint Contact Group should hit the ground running in achieving its mandate under decision 19/CMA.1. To do this, the Joint Contact Group should agree on a top-level outline of the key elements of the CMA decision on the GST. This top-level outline would then serve as the initial basis for further work to be undertaken intersessionally by the Parties in developing the outputs for the political consideration phase, including at the GT workshop in October and at COP28.

6. In this regard, some preliminary areas that are important to highlight in the outcome text include:

– Preamble
– Background/context/vision
– Crosscutting general assesment of collective progress
– Mitigation
– Adaptation
– Means of implementation
– Response measures
– Loss and damage
– International cooperation
– Way forward

7. To carry our work forward after this Bonn session, the Joint Contact Group should recommend to the SBs to issue a joint call for submissions from Parties on the elements of the CMA decision, using the initial draft outline agreed at this session as the basis, and requesting Parties and non-Party stakeholders to provide their views and suggestions with respect to the substantive content based on the outline. The deadline for making submissions pursuant to this call could be in mid-August 2023 but after the publication of the factual synthesis report, with the Secretariat be requested to compile these submissions and make them available to Parties and non-Party stakeholders.

8. We stress the Party-driven nature of the GST process, that it would be Parties that should determine the GST’s outcome through consensus-based negotiations so that the GST outcome will be credible and enjoy political support from the Parties, thereby ensuring that such outcome will then be fully considered in a nationally determined manner by Parties for enhancing action and international cooperation.

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* Paragraph 34, decision 19/CMA.1, at https://unfccc.int/sites/default/files/resource/cma2018_3_add2_new_advance.pdf#page=53